For the eighth year in a row, dozens of volunteers filled Denny Hall at Manakin Episcopal Church to take part in a Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now) meal-packing event. For nearly three hours on January 14, 2018, the room buzzed with activity, as people of all ages assembled meal packets containing soy, dried vegetables, rice and vitamin packets. Some stood shoulder-to-shoulder at funnel stations, measuring ingredients and filling meal bags. Others lined long tables, carefully weighing each bag and then sealing it shut. Runners shuttled bins and buckets back and forth, carefully moving the bags from station to station until finally delivering them to a team that counted the meals, packed them into boxes, and loaded a waiting truck.

Working together, the group of more than 120 packed 30,024 meals, bringing the total number of meals packed at Manakin’s Rise Against Hunger events to 233,742!

In the coming weeks, Rise Against Hunger will let us know where these meals are being shipped and who they will help nourish.

We want to thank all the volunteers – Manakin parishioners, family, friends and community members – who came out to support our 2018 event, as well as our past Rise Against Hunger activities. To see photos from our most recent event, visit Manakin’s Facebook page. 

Mark your calendars. Manakin’s 2019 meal-packaging event will take place January 19. We hope to see you there! In the meantime, if you’d like to participate in other Rise Against Hunger activities, visit www.riseagainsthunger.org/locations/richmond-virginia.